Car-cooling apparatus



Dec! 6 D. PARKER CAR COOLING APPARATUS Filed til 25. 1927 (gain ENTER. I By 14 /4226 A TTORNE Y.

atented Dec. 6, 1927.

at. E, OF FRESNO, CALH'ORNIA.

CCOOLING v ii In the transportation of fruit, it has become the common practice to pre-cool the same before loading it into cars or other.

means of transportation, the pre-cooling assisting in maintaining the fruit preserved during its transit to the point of destination.

The most recent method is to load the boxed fruit direct from the packing house into refrigerator cars, and as the loading progresses, to remove as much heat as 1s pos sible from the fruit, thus lowering the temperature thereof prior to the closing and sealing of the car.

The present invent-ion relates to a simple efiicient apparatus capable of being quickly set up and removed from the car when the loading is completed, and by the use of which a circulation of air through the boxed fruit from the car cooling chamber is maintained.

The principal objects of this invention are the provision of means for mounting a flexible chamber forming partition which may be removed from operative position when the car is loaded without the necessity of the operator employing tools or passing overv the boxed fruit to obtain access to the partition mounting means. To provide a simple form of air circulating chamber, the inlet of which'is in communication with one of the circulating-chambers and the outlet of which is in communication with another circulating chamber, whereby a continuous forced draft circulation of cooling air is maintained through the boxed fruit. A further object is to provide an air circulating means which may be progressively moved from the end of the car toward the center, asthe boxed fruit is stacked therein, whereby an air circulation for the full length of the tiered boxes is maintained. Another object is to providea partition mounting means, held in position,

under pressure, and which is adapted for removal by the pulling of a string, cord or other member. causing a breaking of the partition at a hinged connection within its length and which permits its removal from v hereinafter described, illustrated in the ac-- the car by the operator.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts companying drawings and pointed-out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the'form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within'the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. J

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal vertical section of a refrigerator car of the conventional type with the preferred embodiment of my invention in position therein.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal transverse section of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view intop plan of one of the partition mounting struts.

Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the struts, illustrating the projecting pins for preventing the axial rotation of the struts when in position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views-1 indicates a conventional form of refrigerator car provided with the door openings 2 at opposite sides of its longitudinal center. At its ends the car is provided with the cooling chambers 3 adapted for containing ice or other coolingelement or means, access being had with the interior of the chambers through the roof of the car byconventional trap doors 4. The wall 5 of each chamber 3 is provided at its top with the warm air inlet 6 and at its bottom with the cool air outlet 7 extending the full width of the car, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The boxed fruit delivered to the car through the door openings 2 is packed therein in any suitable manner. preferably in double tiers A and B, each composed of transverse and longitudinal rows of boxes set on end, the long'tudinal rows being preferably spaced. at 8', and the boxes of the respective tiers being separated by spacers 9, aifording an air passage between the tiers A and B. a p

i The loading of the car takes place from either or both ends towards the door open.- ings 2, and as the loading progresses, a flexible partition 10, preferably of canvas, is disposed transversely of the car. with one end in close proximity to. and substantially parallel with the lower edge of the warm air inlet 6. The end of the flexible partition 10, which is preferably of. canvas or other material, is carried by a strut 11, composed of sleeve 13 pressed outwardly by a spring 14,

disposed between the strut end and the sleeve end. the sleeve being guided in its movement by the pin extensions 15, operating in longitudinal guide slots 16 in the wall of the sleeve. The end 17 of the sleeve and the free end of the other strut 11 are provided with a pair of outwardly projecting car side engaging pins 18.

In mounting the end of the canvas or flexible partition transversely in the car above the upper tier of fruit, the strut is broken at its hinge connection 12, and the operator lines the pin ends 18 with the side wall of the car, at the desired points of engagement therewith, and with the fulcrum point of the hinge 12 vertically disposed and lying adja cent to the end of the car, manipulates the two struts so that the same lie, as in Fig. 3

'of' the drawings, with the pin ends 18 engaging the car side walls.

\Vhen in this position, it will be apparent that outward pressure of the spring 14 will maintain the hinged joint connection of the strut forming parts in a position slightly offset from parallel alignment, thus the strut 11 in its illustrated position will removably support the free end of the canvas in the car, and the canvas will'divide the car transversely into air circulating chambers, one abovethe upper tier of fruit and the lower chamber containing the fruit to be cooled.

.A portable circulating means 19 rests on the outermost row of the upper tier of boxes and extends thereover for the full width of the car. The circulating means illustrated, consists of a chamber 20 having at its bottom air inlet ports 21 and in one side wall with one or more air outlet ports 22, in rear of which is mounted a fan 23, preferably driven by an electric motor 24, which receives its power through a conductor 25 leading into the car from any suitable point.' The canvas'partition 10 is of a length to extend from the end of the car to a point approximately in line'with the door openings 2, the excess material being folded as at 26 adjacent one side wall of the chamber 19, and as the air circulating means is moved toward the door openings 2, as the filling of the car progresses, the flexible partition is correspondingly extended to overlie the upper tier of boxes B. If desired, one or more partition mounting struts, illustrated in Fig. 3, may be secured to the flexible partition 11, the number of struts being optional in the design of the apparatus.

To facilitate the movement of the air cir length of the circulating apparatus. A par tition sealing member 28 depends from the forward end of the circulating means 19 and lies in advance of the foremost. row of boxes, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Connected with the struts 11 and extending toward the door openings 2 is a cord or other flexible member 29, the pulling of which will break the aligned struts on their hinged connection 12 and afford a means for drawing the same endwise of the car toward the door openings 2, enabling the removal of the struts and the flexible partition 10 from the upper surface of the tier B of boxes when the, length of the car has been filled to the point desired.

it claim 1. An apparatus for circulating air from the refrigerating chamber of a refrigerator car, through thecar, and returning it to the chamber, comprising a fabric member for positioning transversely of the car to divide the same into upper and lower chambers, extending from the refrigerating chamber wall toward the car center, means for engaging the car side walls for retaining the fabric member in position, means for creating an air circulation from one chamber to the other and through the refrigerating chamber, and means connected with said car side wall engaging means and extending toward the center of the car for operation to release the fabric member supporting means and affording a means for drawing the fabric member and its supporting means toward extending from the refrigerating chamber wall toward the car center, means secured to and extending transversely across the fabric member and comprising a sectional strut adapted at its ends, for detachably engaging the car side walls and affording a relatively rigid structure when in operative position for retaining the fabrlc member in position transverse of the car, portable means for creating an air circulation from one chamber-to the other and through the refrigerating chamber, said means adapted for movement progressively from one end of the car toward its center, and means connected with said sectional strut and extending toward the car center for operation to release the strut from engagement with the car side walls and afiord a means for drawing the strut and fabric member toward the center of the car. A

3. An apparatus for circulating air from the refrigerating chamber of a refrigerator car, through the car, and returning it to the chamber, comprising a fabric member for positioning transversely of the car to divide the same into upper and lower chambers, extending from the end'of the car toward its center, a supporting strut for detachably holding one end of the fabric in position adjacent the end of the vcar and comprising a pair of strut forming members hinged together at adjacent ends and of a combined length to engage the car side walls when extended transversely of the interior thereof, spring means associated withthe strut forming members for maintaining their hin ed joint connection offset from a line passing through the free ends of the strut forming members, car side wall engaging means carried by the free ends of the strut forming members, means for creating an air circulation from one chamber to the other and through the refrigerating chamber, and means connected with said strut for operation to move the hinge joint connection of said strut forming members from its normal position across a line passing through the free ends of the strut forming members, Wherebythe car side Wall engaging means are released from the car side walls.

85 4. An apparatus for circulating air from tachably holding the fabricin position adjacent one end of the car, and comprising a pair of strut forming members, one having a longitudinally extensible section, said members pivotally connected together at adjacent endsand of a combined length when in substantlal alignment to engage the opposite side walls of the car, a spring for maintain the pivoted connection between said strut forming members offset from a line passing through the free ends of the strut forming section, means carried by the strut for preventing the axial turning thereof when in operative position, means for creating an air circulation from one chamber to the other and through the refrigerating chamber, and means connected with said strut for operation to move the pivotal joint connection of said strut forming members from its normal position across a line passing through the free ends of the members, whereby the ends of the members are released from engagement with the car side walls.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DONALD PARKER.

50' forcing said extensible section outwardly to v 

